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One of the most common and frustrating things about being a woman: the dreaded yeast infection. Yeast overgrowth (scientifically known as Candida) can cause an array of physical and emotional issues such as itching, burning, irritability, and feeling completely undesirable. Not to mention, it is quite disruptive to a healthy sex life.

Usually when yeast strikes, even the most health-conscious women desperately turn to prescription medicines and over-the-counter remedies for relief because it really seems to work. At least temporarily…

The problem is, these drugs are not getting to the culprit of the issue, and essentially, the yeast infection just strikes back, sometimes worse than before. So what can we do, as women? Are we doomed to suffer from the big bad yeast forever? I’m here to tell you, HELL NO!

If you a reading this post it is probably because you are looking for relief. So I’ll spare you my story and cut right to the chase. You need to change. And here’s what:

The products you use. A wise health practitioner once told me, “Women do not need to use soap to be clean.” This has stuck with me for a long time, and because I was desperate for a cure for the big bad yeast, I took heed. Stop listening to the commercials, your uninformed man, and society telling you that you’re not clean unless you smell like roses. This isn’t true and that “wash” is probably causing more harm than good. Read the ingredients on the labels of your beauty products. If you can’t pronounce them and have no idea what they are, they’re most likely no good. Warm water and your fingers or a wash cloth around (not in) the vagina will get you clean. The Vagina is a self-cleaning organ! And if you must use soap, opt for something natural (ex. black soap, or the brands Everyone Soap or Shea Moisture are brands I use).

Your diet. White rice, white bread, white vinegar, are all best friends with yeast. Clean up your diet and incorporate in your daily meal rituals whole, unprocessed foods. The candies and the cakes also encourage yeast overgrowth, so do yourself a favor and just stick with fresh, organic, non-gmo fruits and veggies. A cupcake every blue moon is fine, if you must 🙂 DRINK WATER. Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) as seasonings. Couple them with Himalayan pink salt and honestly, there you go. Opt for garlic, onions, and fresh herbs in your diet. Probiotics are great additions for digestion and regulate the “good” bacteria. And the best thing about all of these wholesome foods? They can even be used as beauty products!

Your environment. From the relationships we have with others and ourselves, to the air we breathe, you must keep your environment toxin-free. Emotional and chemical poisons cause so many upsets in our body. And our body simply responds to them the only way it knows how. Stress is just as harmful as cigarette smoke. By keeping your space sacred, your relationships healthy, and your air clean, many, many ailments can be prevented and eliminated.

Exercise. No explanation needed. It will keep your body in working order and even keep you sane.

Now for the remedies. The following information is what I have found most helpful in reducing symptoms, but keep in mind that the information above are preventions. Stick to those, and you won’t need these:

1. Inserting one Boric acid powder capsule into your vagina morning and evening for three to seven days for an acute infection, and 14 to 30 days for a chronic infection. I have not seen Boric acid capsules widely available in health stores or pharmacies but women can make their own by buying a bottle of Boric acid powder and gelatin capsules (a capsule-making machine makes the process go faster).

Studies show the effectiveness of Boric acid is very high especially in women with chronic resistant yeast infections — one study with 100 women showed a 98 percent success rate with this condition. If you find that the Boric acid irritates your external genitalia you can protect the tissue with vitamin E oil (preferred).

2. Insert a garlic clove into your vagina in the morning and an acidophilus capsule in the evening for three to seven days.

3. Prepare a retention douche with bentonite clay, Pau D’ Arco tea, yogurt, tea tree oil and goldenseal and douche two times a day for seven to 10 days.

4. Soak a tampon with diluted tea tree oil and keep it in your vagina overnight.

All of these remedies and more information can be found here. It is a very helpful site and it saves you the internet runaround. You can also try a bath with ACV. Because ACV regulates pH, the “bad” bacteria can’t survive. Soaking in a tub with warm water and ACV is both therapeutic and provides relief.

Lastly, let it all hang out! Cotton (or none at all) underwear are you best bet. Loose, flowing skirts and bottoms are highly recommended.

I understand that I am asking you to make serious lifestyle changes, and for some of you, this will be no easy task. But what can I guarantee with these changes is that you will do more than just zap that yeast; you will create an entirely new you. A stronger, wiser, healthier woman indeed!

I recently landed on this article and felt compelled to share it with you. I’ve personally been using natural pads and tampons (Natracare and Azalea brands) for about 2 years, but I’ve also considered the sponge and the cup, just haven’t made the move yet. I first became aware when my husband (obviously tapping into his feminine side) shared with me an article he read which stated that regular tampons and pads have an abundance of chemicals and some have even tested positively for mold! Since we were going to eventually have children, I figured there was no time like the present to make the switch immediately! Yes they were a bit more expensive, but well worth the investment. And here’s why…

Enjoy!

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Still Using Tampons Or Pads? You Should Read This

What is something that every woman has to endure in her lifetime? You got it, a menstruation cycle. On average a woman will have her period once a month, for about 5 days, for around 40 years of her life! During this time, we need to use various products stay clean and fresh. There has got to be a market in there! The Tampon and Pad industry is a $718 Million dollar market, and tampons and pads are necessities. This got me questioning the production and ethical value behind these products. They are mass-produced, and heavily marketed and cheaply made, out of bleached rayon and plastics. Why is it that we never see ads for the much safer alternatives such as cotton products, reusable washable pads and menstruation cups? Any of these alternatives are much more economical and are about a gillion times safer for the environment. Up until a few months ago, I didn’t even know that there were alternative products, or even think that there was any potential risk from using generic menstruation products.

Almost all sanitary napkins and tampons are made with bleached rayon, cotton and plastics, how safe do you think that material is to be inside or very close to your Vagina? Not to mention these products leave behind fibers in your vagina that can cause bladder, vaginal infections, and Toxic Shock Syndrome. Tampons are also known to absorb the natural fluids and bacteria’s that the vagina produces to stay clean and healthy. Let’s look at the #1 ingredient in generic tampons and sanitary napkins: Rayon. Rayon is a fiber that is made from cellulose fibers, cellulose is a natural fiber, but to produce Rayon chemical procedures are needed that include: carbon disulphide, sulfuric acid, chlorine and caustic soda. Side effects from exposure to too much Rayon can include: nausea, vomiting, chest pain, headaches and many others. Rayon is not just found in tampons and pads, but a lot of clothes are made from it as well. Sanitary napkins also contain quite a bit of plastic, which does not allow sufficient air flow ‘down there’ so in turn can also cause an array of infections. Tampons and pads are also bleached using chlorine, which results in the production of dioxin, which is linked to breast cancer, endometriosis, immune system suppression and various other ailments.

So, what are our options?

A menstrual cup is my first choice for a tampon/ pad alternative. It is a flexible silicone cup that is inserted into the vagina. Essentially this cup catches all the blood and you empty it every 12 hours during your cycle and reinsert it. I know what you are thinking… gross. That’s what I thought too; my initial thought was that this sounded so disgusting that I would never use it. I guess that changed as I researched all of the positive effects that came from using a cup. If it is properly inserted and taken out there is no reason that you should ever have to actually touch blood, but even if you do, what’s the harm? Just wash your hands, you big baby. It may take a few cycles to get the hang of how to use one of these cups, but once you do you will wish you had started a lot sooner! I recommend that you continue to use pads or liners until you have mastered the insertion technique, just in case. Not only will you save a lot of money using a menstruation cup, but you will be doing a huge favor to the environment as well. Think about it, If an average women uses about 17,000 pads or tampons during her entire menstruation period, x that by 3.5 billion women in the world, and yeah, you do the math…. Another great thing about using menstrual cups is that many women have reported to having less severe cramping during their period! I know that alone would encourage some women to making this change. Some brands of menstrual cups are: ‘DivaCup,’ ‘MoonCup,’ ‘Ladycup’ and ‘Lunette,’ among many others.

There are also reusable pad products are made of safe materials that come with washable highly absorbent inserts to suit all different levels of flow. These would be a great option to women that do not like to products that you have to insert. These reusable ‘pads’ are made with safe breathable materials to keep your area healthy, and leak free! Some brands that are available today are: ‘Luna Pads,’ ‘Glad Rags,’ ‘Pleasure Puss’ and you can also make your own.

Now, if you are just not so keen on ever having to really see blood or wash your products, or don’t like these options there is another option, sit in a lake for your entire cycle. You will eventually come out very cold and wrinkled, but at least you won’t be throwing away tons of crap into the environment and you don’t have to worry about toxic chemicals being leached into your body…. Just kidding! OK, there is one last alternative to generic tampons and pads. There are some companies that make natural organic cotton products that do not leach chemicals, and do not leave synthetic materials behind. These can still absorb your natural fluids and they are still not the best things for the environment, but at least cotton is a more natural substance that can biodegrade much quicker and safer. Some brands of these products are: ‘Seventh Generation,’ and ‘Natracare.’

So there you have it! I hope that this article opened up your eyes to the health effects and environmental hazards that are associated with using pads and tampons, and made you reconsider what products that you are using. There are many websites that provide information with reviews on all of these products, do your research and find what’s best suited for you and your lifestyle.

If you are worried about how much fluid menstruation cups can hold in comparison to tampons and pads check out this video.

Yesterday, my little angel came down with a bug. She’s approaching 11 months and to date, had not been sick. I was very startled when she began what would be an entire day of vomiting. I called my husband who calmed me, and the pediatrician who gave me more of a fright. What I realized in that moment was that I was officially a mother, and even more of a revelation, completely equipped and capable of nurturing my daughter. I needn’t fear anything because I had all the tools I needed: my instinct, the internet, my kitchen, and modern medicine if I ABSOLUTELY needed it!

What I remember most about throwing up when I was a kid, was just how dehydrated you become. My instinct (and past experience) was telling me that my daughter was losing so many nutrients from her body, and I would need to help her replenish safely and quickly. I immediately thought, “Pedialyte!” But cringed at the thought of giving my daughter a drink doused in chemical food coloring and artificial flavoring. It was in that instance that I remembered that natural mamas heal naturally! I ran to the internet to research a homemade version of the stuff, which is essentially electrolyte water. Electrolyte water basically replenishes the body of the nutrients and minerals lost after exercising, vomiting, and in general, dehydration. So anyone, babies, children, and adults can all benefit from drinking it!

I was so happy with all the information available on Google. There were several versions of the stuff, and I had exactly what I needed in my kitchen to make it happen.

Some recipes called for baking soda, sea salt, lemon, agave, and even juice. I chose the combination I did because I felt these ingredients were the most natural and what I had on hand at the time. You could get extremely creative with your recipe (especially if you are keen on taste or dealing with a picky child) by making an electrolyte juice or even freeze pops! And, if you’re not allergic to tree nuts (including coconut), then coconut water is also a perfect option!

Needless to say, the electrolyte water I made for my daughter was not the best tasting creation, but she did manage to drink it and it did exactly what it was supposed to! I would definitely recommend talking to your child’s pediatrician before giving her anything she wouldn’t normally eat/drink, but don’t be afraid to arm yourself with natural alternatives to modern medicine! Often times, it is totally unnecessary and even harmful to spend the extra bucks on artificial/commercial products when you have all you need right in your own kitchen!